Tomorrowland before its official opening: a massive fire destroyed the main stage in Belgium.
However, the legendary thrash metal band, Metallica , made a surprising appearance. The band lent parts of their stage from the M72 World Tour , stored in Austria, to save the festival.
Thanks to a large logistical operation, the equipment was transported by air and installed in record time. The audience praised the new stage, which, although smaller than the original, has a modern look, high-level acoustics, and a huge LED screen.
The new stage's debut featured DJs such as Martin Garrix , Axwell , and Meduza , who got the crowd going.
Garrix publicly thanked Metallica and took the opportunity to highlight that the band's gesture kept the spirit of the festival alive. According to the DJ, the new stage brought a closer energy between artists and fans, considering it a great improvement (via Ultimate Classic Rock ).
After the stage was set up, the audience reacted positively to the change. Many praised the fact that, with a more functional stage, the focus returned to the music, and not just the visual effects (via Nationwide News ).
Reports indicate that the cause of the fire may have been pyrotechnics and lighting systems.
The causes of the fire are still under investigation, but there are indications that flammable materials such as wood and polyurethane accelerated the spread of the fire.
The fire that destroyed the main stage at Tomorrowland 2025 started during technical tests conducted the day before the festival's official opening, according to Euronews .
Preliminary reports indicate that the fire started during a rehearsal with pyrotechnics and lighting equipment, at a time when the venue was closed to the public.
Although no one was injured, the fire quickly consumed a large part of the structure, which was built with flammable set materials. The rapid response of the production team and firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to other areas of the festival.
Therefore, experts are already discussing changes to stage construction standards to ensure greater safety at large-scale events.
READ ALSO : Metallica takes action against the United States military
